The 45-year-old businessman from Mississippi has now hired leading Beverly Hills attorney, Alexander Rufus-Isaacs of Rufus-Isaacs, Acland & Grantham, to fight both ABC and ex-girlfriend, Nicolette Catanzarite, claiming that they made “numerous defamatory statements” about him on the special that aired on June 29.

“On July 11, Mr. Rufus-Isaacs wrote to ABC demanding a retraction of the story and threatening to bring a lawsuit seeking damages for the injury to Mr. Ayers’ reputation,” said the attorneys in a legal letter obtained by RadarOnline.com.

The statement contained a comment from Brooks claiming: “ABC never gave me a reasonable opportunity to tell my side, and therefore the story, which is based on an interview with an ex-girlfriend, contains many mistakes. I am outraged that ABC should behave in this manner.”

In the controversial on-air interview, Catanzarite said: “He has not supported his child. He bailed on the hospital bill, the pediatrician bill, and left me with all of it.”

The 41-year-old model and hair salon owner from Indianapolis met Ayers on a golf trip in 2007 and the couple now have a three-year-old son together, even though he had claimed he had a vasectomy, she said.

The new lawsuit is not the first time that Ayer’s attorney has embarked on a legal battle against ABC, as Mr. Rufus-Isaacs recently filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC on behalf of another male victim of a 20/20 story.

“ABC is making a habit of mounting witch hunts against men whom 20/20 unfairly brands liars, cheaters and deadbeats on national television without having done a proper investigation or interviewing the men in question,” said Rufus-Isaacs in the statement. “This is irresponsible journalism from a once respected icon of television news.”

While the legal drama is sure to put pressure on any relationship, a close friend of Vicki’s said the couple are still together and the Real Housewife pledged her official support to him with an inspirational Facebook status.

“Everyone comes with a little baggage. Find someone who loves you enough to unpack,” she wrote.